Quitting My Job To See The World

I’ve decided. It’s taken a long time and it’s going to mean some upset, but I can’t take it any more. I go to work every day, sit in a office, and miss the whole wide world around us. Every time I see a picture of some marvelous place on Facebook or Pintrest, I want to travel. It’s not that I don’t like my home, just that I want to see more of the world.

So, I’ve quit my job.

I’m currently arranging a three month lease on an apartment in Paris. After that, I’m moving to Rome. We’re all going, of course. Seeing the world will be at least as good an education for my daughter as middle school, and my wife is (mostly) convinced it’s a good idea.

I’m going to write, too – in libraries, and bookshops, and cafe’s all across Europe. We’re going to soak up the history and antiquity of thousands of years of kings and queens, of wars and revolution. I’m going to sit in weird oriental bars and type away. I’m going to look out at Sidney harbor bridge and finish chapters. I’m going to bargain with sellers in far east markets and write them into my stories.

We’re going to walk up mountains, and travel narrow roads on busses that carry as much livestock as people.

As a family, we’re going to come back knowing there’s so much more to life than just going to the mall to buy a “No Fear” t-shirt on the weekend. I just can’t wait to begin.

You realize, of course, you hooked me with the pictures and the adventures. I can think of no better adventure for a family and for a writer than to immerse in other cultures; appreciate the world for more than job-induced time restraints. Your children’s education and life experiences? Enhanced exponentially.

And, then, your last lines…

“At least that’s my dream. What’s yours?”

My dream is free-to-be-me traveling vacations with a home base in Texas. I’ll write in log cabins leased for weeks or months at a time, and mooch off the many friends I’ve met online. I’ll collect Starbucks mugs from across the continent, and learn the names and family histories of people I meet.

Back to your last line. Was the dream your stated benefits and experiences as part of this adventure? Or, was it quitting the job, and jumping into an across-the-pond immersion life?

Yeah, oh-writerly-one. You hooked me. Now, I have to turn the page to discover the answer. [In blog-speak, that means I’ll be back to check your response.]

Hi Gloria. I did a lot of world traveling while I was single. It would be great though to be able to stay somewhere long enough to live like a native. Course, quitting my job would be fun too! Problem is that these rectangluar things keep turning up in the letterbox each month. Dang!

Hi, Nigel! Wow, I admire your adventurous spirit! What a wild ride you and your family are about to begin! Glad the wife and kiddo are on board with it. They sound pretty special. Keep in touch, and send pics so we can live vicariously (and turn green with envy).

Is this for a year? Just wondering about the nuts and bolts of how one goes about this sort of thing.

Sadly, Kathy, I’ll be living vicariously, too! I do know a couple who did this. Leased out their house, packed small bags, and went round Europe. They used public transport everywhere. I think the biggest struggle was adjusting back to normal life!

Hi CC. Hop, skip, and jump – sounds like an approach to paying bills! Sadly, it was my dream, although my wife seems pretty interested, so you never know. We will probably be back in blighty next year sometime, so maybe we’ll call by the frozen north and say hello!

Cheers!

Irene Rosa
on November 18, 2013 at 11:12 am

I am pretty sure if my husband could walk with out crutches we would be doing something similar. When we were stationed overseas we didn’t get to travel much. His dream was and still is to see the Coliseum. Now that is 1 dream I want to make happen for him. Good luck on your trip.

The Coliseum would be a great place to see. There’s so many places it’d be hard to choose even if you had a year. Sadly, it was my dream, not reality. I still have to go to work in the morning 🙁 But it’s good to dream 🙂

My dream – sell enough books to be able to travel all I want to. My travel will be mainly in the U.S. and Canada, with maybe a trip or two Down Under if I can ever convince myself to sit in a sardine can – I mean airline cabin – for 20 hours. Watch out, fellow bloggers. If that ever happens, your doorstep might be one of my destinations. There are so many of you out there I’d love to meet or see again.

That’s a fabulous dream! For you, anyway… 🙂 My dream would look more like a quiet place in the country right here in Canada. And the ability to teleport so I could pop over to all those exotic locations for a day at a time to taste the food and drink the booze and then come home and sleep in my own bed.

As dreams go, this is pretty close to mine. Mine has a husband (who normally hates the idea of traveling) looking forward to the venture as much as I am…

Though… I do have to say “why is it just a dream?” Go for it! At the worst, it’s a bit of time out of your life that you’ll probably enjoy completely. You may wish that you were more fiscally well off, but.. check out some of the Hospitality groups out there. Or groups that do home shares… If you can save the cost down to just trasportation and groceries, travel can be pretty cheap.

Dammit, I thought you were serious at first, until the end of your post. Sigh. Sounds pretty good though.

I’d travel too. I’d go to European archives and rummage through all the amazing documents and artifacts, I’d help restore old historic structures, I’d sit in cafes and drink coffee or tea and talk to people and see things and soak it all up.

Well, if you have to dream…dream big! Hi Nigel, we are new to your blog by way of mutual blogging friend Carrie Rubin. We’ve always wanted to travel. Me, France, Switzerland, England. Inion’s dream is Ireland & Scotland. As writers we expand those dreams to fit within our world of writing living vicariously through our characters. But nothing makes up for the real experience. We enjoyed the adventurous nature of your post though & the pictures as well. It’s fun to say the words aloud, that way you don’t forget those passionate dreams that live within us.

Hi guys! Exploring the world through books and writing isn’t a bad way to go. Cuts out all the tedious hanging around in airports for sure. And you never know, maybe one day you’ll follow your characters path!

Cheers!

Simon Bracken
on March 4, 2014 at 3:50 pm

Hi Nigel, You had me going there. Just as I was thinking “Good for you” and “you jammy beggar” I realized the truth which left me a bit deflated although it was good while it lasted.